Oberst Hans Oster

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Susanna
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Oberst Hans Oster

#1

Post by Susanna » 21 Jul 2014, 05:27

I'm doing a bit of research on resistance on this 70th anniversary of the July 20 plot to kill Hitler, and I have two questions.
1) Why was Hans Oster replaced by Stauffenberg in the July 20 plot?
2) To my dismay, what appears to be a very thorough article on Oster in wiki states that Oster was a general:

"Hans Paul Oster (9 August 1887 – 9 April 1945) was a German Army general, an opponent of Adolf Hitler and Nazism, and a leading figure of the German resistance from 1938 to 1943."

I have only ever heard him referred to as a colonel. Does anyone know if he reached general and if not, does anyone know how to or is anyone up for editing wiki?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Oster

Maverick57
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#2

Post by Maverick57 » 21 Jul 2014, 06:04

Hey Susanna,

you should change the accordance of both questions.. Because he was promoted to Major General (this also meant a deploxment to the eastern front), he was replaced by Stauffenberg.
By the way Major General in Wehrmacht was the same level as Brigadiergeneral today. In German: "Generalmajor". If you have a look in the german wiki, you will see this on the photos:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Oster


Susanna
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#3

Post by Susanna » 21 Jul 2014, 18:28

Thank you Maverick! So he was promoted! I thought being sent to the Eastern Front was often used as a punishment, so perhaps it was a double-edged sword? I'm guessing at this point--I need to do more research obviously--this promotion came after his time in Berlin (?) with the Abwehr when he was helping Jews escape to Switzerland by supplying them with fake identities and sending them on supposed "spy missions."
Thanks again!

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askropp
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#4

Post by askropp » 21 Jul 2014, 19:16

1.) In what respect is Oster alleged to have been "replaced" by Stauffenberg?
2.) Oster never held a frontline command during WW2.
3.) He was Admiral Canaris's chief of staff in the Amt Ausland / Abwehr in the OKW.
4.) In 1940, Oster gave the exact time of the impending German attack on France and the Low Countries ("Fall Gelb") to the Dutch military attaché in Berlin, but his warning was not believed in Amsterdam.
5.) His last ranks were Oberst (E) from 1 April 1939 and Generalmajor from 1 December 1942.
6.) When Hans von Dohnanyi was arrested by the Gestapo in April 1943, he was in the possession of incriminatory evidence concerning Oster. Oster had to leave the military service and was put under house arrest and close Gestapo monitoring, he was arrested after the failed 20 July coup.
There are times in history when staying neutral means taking sides.

Susanna
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Re: Oberst Oster

#5

Post by Susanna » 21 Jul 2014, 22:39

I had heard Oster was being considered for the delivery of the bomb for the July plot but was replaced by Staufenberg/. If this is the case then I suppose he was replaced due to awareness and/or suspicion of his activities.
So he was a general!

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askropp
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#6

Post by askropp » 21 Jul 2014, 23:34

How should Oster have delivered the bomb? He had no access to the FHQ, and I don't know if he ever saw Hitler from face to face.
Also, when Oster was arrested, Stauffenberg was still in Africa and no active part of the conspiracy, and the bomb plot was still in a very early stage. As far as I know, Oster and Stauffenberg never met. The resistance cells in the Amt Ausland / Abwehr and in the Ersatzheer / AHA were only loosely connected. Because the former had been already destroyed long before July 1944, the members were not immediately executed, but were imprisoned until April 1945 and only killed to prevent their liberation by the approaching Allied troops. Perhaps you are confusing Oster with Henning von Tresckow, who WAS the brain of the military resistance before Stauffenberg and who was in fact transferred to the Eastern Front.
There are times in history when staying neutral means taking sides.

Susanna
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#7

Post by Susanna » 22 Jul 2014, 06:36

Thank you askropp, that was most helpful! I didn't know Oster was arrested that early. But you're right; I was aware the Abwehr group was out of commission by '44. I had guessed Oster was involved from earlier attempts.
And, I must confess! A friend told me that he thinks in the movie "Valkyrie," Stauffenberg was introduced to the group, I think by von Tresckow, as Oster's replacement. I can't remember that particular scene though.
I know, I know, one shouldn't base his or her knowledge of history on movies!

Ypenburg
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#8

Post by Ypenburg » 09 Aug 2014, 22:52

askropp wrote: 4.) In 1940, Oster gave the exact time of the impending German attack on France and the Low Countries ("Fall Gelb") to the Dutch military attaché in Berlin, but his warning was not believed in Amsterdam.
Oster also provided information about the attack on Poland to the Dutch military attaché in Berlin, major Sas, next to other detailed information as other dates of attack (that were cancelled), the use of troops in Polish and Dutch uniforms etc. A list, in Dutch, here: http://www.mei1940.nl/Verslagen/Waarschuwingen_Sas.htm

Dutch Gouvernment and HQ were situated in The Hague, not Amsterdam.

Best regards

Ypenburg
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#9

Post by Ypenburg » 19 Aug 2014, 15:56

An extensive research on Oster was done by Hermann Graml. The research was printed in the "Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte', 14. Jahrgang 1966, 1. Heft/Januar. Download here: http://www.ifz-muenchen.de/vierteljahrs ... 1953-2008/

Susanna
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#10

Post by Susanna » 31 Aug 2014, 22:02

Thank you both for your responses! I am looking for a tranlator application I can download on my antique computer (that won't freeze it) so I can actually read them! :idea:

lesm
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster [OT]

#11

Post by lesm » 01 Sep 2014, 12:20

Susanna wrote:I am looking for a tranlator application I can download on my antique computer (that won't freeze it) so I can actually read them! :idea:
Suasanna, you can use Google or Bing online translators using the appropriate plugin for your browser. They are not perfect, actually they are very crude translating complex languages like German, Dutch, Japanese or Russian, but you know the subject and can figure out the context very well.

Ypenburg
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#12

Post by Ypenburg » 01 Sep 2014, 14:38

I noticed the link doesn't work. This should do it: http://www.ifz-muenchen.de/vierteljahrs ... 1953-2008/

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German Resistance
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#13

Post by German Resistance » 01 Oct 2018, 12:31

Hi Susanna,

I realize that this is an old thread and not sure if you have found your answer already but the reason Stauffenberg is often referred to as "Oster's replacement" is not because Oster was supposed to deliver the bomb himself, but because of their similar roles in the resistance movement. Hans Oster had been the manager and the recruiter of the opposition between 1938-1943 until his arrest after "Operation 7" - the rescue of a group of Jews carried out by him and a few of his Abwehr colleagues. He was put under house arrest and he was strictly prohibited to be in touch with any of his former friends and colleagues. This event had been a real shock for the opposition as it was not easy to fill the void that Oster left behind. Stauffenberg was the one who managed to bring new energy and life back into the resistance. He took over the role of the organizer and recruited many officers for the planned plot. In this sense was Stauffenberg Oster's replacement. As a matter of fact, Oster did not have a part (no longer could) in the July 20 coup, the reason he was arrested and taken to Gestapo HQ's one day after the assassination attempt failed, was that the regime went after all known resisters in the wake of the retaliation process.

Hope this helps.

Susanna
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#14

Post by Susanna » 11 Oct 2018, 21:26

Thank you so much for this info! I knew about the rescue but did not know about the house arrest. Who found out? How?

Sorry for the late reply--I just received the Axis email notice today!
And the quick reply too-I'm sneak posting at work. 😲 Will get back again when I have time. So glad to find people interested and knowledgeable on the miracle and testament to good that is the German resistance.
Any more info is always deeply appreciated--and shared. There are two of us studying this topic, when we have time.
Don't know if you are in the US, but it's always time...
Thanks again!

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German Resistance
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Re: Oberst Hans Oster

#15

Post by German Resistance » 22 Oct 2018, 12:16

Hi Susanna,

no worries, you see I am not the fastest with replies either, I was away from home for a week. Without looking it up I can not recall all the circumstances down to the smallest details, but it was during an office search that the Gestapo found discriminating documents. The Secret Police was investigating Oster's friend and colleague Hans von Donhanyi because of the money they transferred to the Jewish family they saved, and during the search Donhanyi signaled Oster to hide some papers that were laying on his desk. Oster swept them into his pocket but one of the investigating officers saw his sudden movement. He was put under house arrest until 21 July 1944, when he was taken to the Prinz-Albrecht-Straße (Gestapo HQ and prison) in Berlin, where he was held and interrogated for about 6 months. Despite the torture, he gave nothing away. From there Oster was transferred to the Flossenbürg KZ where they eventually executed him.

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